Lots of geese on course question ?

[JY56]

I recently started playing at a course that has a crazy amount of geese on the course. I can see it being a real mess in the spring/summer when the ball will continually be in the mess they leave.  Once we play the ball down, how do we deal with that ?  I don't see anything in the local rules, so I'm guessing "tough $hit" literally ?  I can't believe how bad it's getting already and there are more of them every time I go out.

Edited February 20, 2021 by JY56

[null]

It’s like any loose impediment, if you can move it without moving your ball you can. If you can’t? Well I guess you can say tough sh*t

[Kenny B]

And they are Canada geese!!  We have them all year long; some months more than others.  We are an International Audubon Certified course, so we can't harass them.  Some, I think, stay all year long; I think I recognize a few of them.  They have no fear of golfers.  They do make a mess, so wish you would keep them up there.  LOL

@jlukes is correct.  Some groups that play here every day have their own "local" rule where they play lift, clean and place.  The ball can get pretty nasty rolling on the fairway.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Playing with your buddies... lift clean and place. I used to play a course in NY on Long Island with the same issue. If you walk with a push cart the best solution is to purchase a bunch of cheap womens shower caps. Place over the wheels and when you get back to the club house just toss them away. Keeps your cart and your trunk clean. You still have to watch your step though.

[JY56]

The other course I played nearby never had any geese.  I don't know how they got rid of them but I remember a couple appeared and heard the greenskeeper asking where they were spotted.  Never saw them again.  This other course, they are everywhere.  I think it's nice enough to see them but don't think a golf course is the best place for them, they make a real mess. I bought a yearly membership but will likely leave and go back to the other course even though this one has a better layout.  I don't need to be paddling through that all year.

[ZenGolfer]

18 hours ago, JY56 said:

I recently started playing at a course that has a crazy amount of geese on the course. I can see it being a real mess in the spring/summer when the ball will continually be in the mess they leave.  Once we play the ball down, how do we deal with that ?  I don't see anything in the local rules, so I'm guessing "tough $hit" literally ?  I can't believe how bad it's getting already and there are more of them every time I go out.

You basically said it.  I play a lot of public courses here in Ohio and most of them have a goose problem.  Its not so bad as you might think because when they get out and mow the fairways early in the morning, it grinds up much of the droppings but its still an issue.

What I will sometimes do, if its really bad, is just to treat it like an unplayable lie and move by ball backward, so that I dont have to hit out of or stand in any goose droppings.  Its not exactly legal by the rules of golf but its one of the times where Im OK with bending the rules.

[tchat07]

One of the local courses owner would have their dog run the pond every morning and afternoon to scare them away.

Sent from my SM-G950U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[Bulldog]

I hatching time for Canada geese in California. Saw this last week at our local course... 21 goslings 

[GaDawg]

We have a lot of the geese, especially on our 9th hole which is a par 5 going a long a lake. We have a crazy lady that lives on the opposite side of the lake on this hole that feeds these geese. They stayed all winter this year, I think due to her feeding them. She comes out and goes crazy if the golfers try to get the geese off the course. It's a mess on this hole and I walk. Therefore, my shoes and cart are a mess!

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, Bulldog said:

I hatching time for Canada geese in California. Saw this last week at our local course... 21 goslings 

Yep!!  We have some geese that stay here all winter if it's fairly mild.  We've had recent hatchings the last few weeks.  This was taken a week ago, and they are much bigger today...

[DriverBreaker]

This is one that, from a health and sanitary standpoint, I don't see why "animal droppings" shouldn't be added in as free relief.

[AndySP]

 

21 hours ago, GolfSpy_CS said:

This is one that, from a health and sanitary standpoint, I don't see why "animal droppings" shouldn't be added in as free relief.

For real though. Do geese get bird flu? Surely we have learned some lessons recently. 

[DriverBreaker]

36 minutes ago, AndySP said:

 

For real though. Do geese get bird flu? Surely we have learned some lessons recently. 

Exactly.  Animals carry known and sometimes unknown illnesses/disease. 

 

What if it is embedded in animal droppings?

[GaDawg]

A couple of months ago, our Superintendent contacted DNR regarding the geese on our course. They came out and trapped/caught them then took them miles away to another lake. After about 10 days, 8 to 10 of them showed back up. DNR was called again and they removed them again. Thank goodness we have not seen any more of them.

[macd67]

On 2/20/2021 at 2:48 PM, JY56 said:

I recently started playing at a course that has a crazy amount of geese on the course. I can see it being a real mess in the spring/summer when the ball will continually be in the mess they leave.  Once we play the ball down, how do we deal with that ?  I don't see anything in the local rules, so I'm guessing "tough $hit" literally ?  I can't believe how bad it's getting already and there are more of them every time I go out.

Geese are the main problem at  many golf course that i have played in us and canada. Some times authorities catch them and took them miles away but after few days may be they send there replacement there.

[TheCanadianBogeyman]

Ah the dreaded cobra chickens.  Most courses around Edmonton that have any substantial amount of water have a goose issue.  For casual play (which is 90% of my rounds), there is no way in hell that I am playing out of goose $#@!.  I will lift, clean and place, or just move the ball an inch or two so I'm not having to scrub turds off my club after.  All my friends and I are fine treating that as a local rule here.  In a tourney, unless you ask them about this specifically before hand, I guess you are stuck.  But most of the time, I treat it as any other element that isn't designed as a natural part of the course and take free relief of some kind.